


To Go Home

by bashfulglowfly



Series: Fullmetal Alchemist Homebound [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 08:58:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6899545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bashfulglowfly/pseuds/bashfulglowfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ed meets someone important in Germany but he still wants to go home. Post first story, first movie and something I made up on my own. Roy x Ed</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Munich 1917

_Fucking bastard!_  

 

Edward Elric spit a mouthful of blood into the sink and stared at himself in the mirror.  He had just thrown his latest lover out of the small flat after the bastard hit him.  _He knew damned good and well that my research takes priority over anything else and he thinks he’s going to ‘correct my behavior’ by hitting me!  Don’t think so!_

 

He turned on the water and scooped up a handful of water and brought it to his mouth, sucked it in and swished it about, then spit it back into the sink.  The water was still tinged red with blood. 

 

His head jerked up at the knock on the door.

 

Stomping out of the bathroom and across the small living room littered with the debris from the fight, Ed unlocked then yanked open the door.  “What part of ‘get lost’ do you not…”

 

It wasn’t Wilhelm.  It was a girl with onyx eyes and black hair in a long braid.  She stared at him with wide eyes.  “OH!  That wasn’t very nice of him to hit you!”  She ducked under Ed’s arm and came into the flat.

 

“I hit him back.” Said Ed as he absently closed the door.  “Who are you?”

 

The girl looked at him with startled eyes then she smiled and held out her hand.  “I’m Liesl.  Liesl Reinhardt.  It’s nice to meet you.”  She faltered.  “Well, perhaps.  I’m sorry.  I heard the fight and then I heard you throw him out so I thought I’d come and see if you were alright.”

 

“I’m Edward Elric.”  Ed smiled.  “I’m fine.”

 

Liesl tilted her head.  “Not really.  You have a bruise forming on your cheek and I can tell that you still have blood in your mouth.”

 

Ed could feel the copper taste.  “Excuse me.”  He went back into the bathroom and rinsed and spit a few more times.  As he did that, he could hear rustling from the living room and he heard his icebox open and shut.  He walked out of the bathroom and saw Liesl in the kitchen energetically chipping away at his ice block.  She placed the ice back into the icebox then gathered the pieces of ice onto a towel she had found.  She saw him standing there.  “Come here.” She gestured to one of the two chairs in the eating area.  Bemused, Ed sat down and Liesl placed the towel against his cheek.  “This will get the swelling down.  It won’t take care of the bruise, but hopefully people won’t ask you too many questions as to what happened.”

 

Ed stared at her.  “You heard the fight.”  Liesl nodded.  “Then you know why we were fighting.  And you aren’t surprised?  You aren’t offended or shocked that my lover is a man?”  He was a bit startled at his own bluntness but something inside him wanted to see what this girl was made of.

 

Liesl blushed.  “Your bedroom is on the same wall as mine.  The walls are a bit thin.”

 

It was Ed’s turn to blush.  “Sorry about that.” He muttered.  “But, still…”

 

Liesl interrupted him.  “No.  I’m not offended.  My brother…my brother preferred men.  He kept it a secret from our parents.  My father would have beaten him then disowned him and I would never have been allowed to see him again.  But I knew.  He never told me but I saw him once and asked him.  He couldn’t deny it.  But he never came out and said it.”

 

“The world is…cruel…to those who are…different.” Said Ed.

 

“Yes, it’s even harder for those whose love is considered to be a sin.”  Tears filled Liesl’s eyes.  “How can love be a sin?”

 

Ed smiled sadly.  “Who knows.”   He pulled the other chair close to him.  “Sit down.  It will be easier on your arms.  In fact…” he took the towel out of her hand and held it to his own cheek.  “Sit down.” He repeated.

 

Liesl sat down.  Her fingers began to twitch.  Ed frowned at that.  “Did the ice affect your hands?”

 

She smiled.  “No.  I just want to sketch your face.  You look like…like a sinful angel.”

 

Ed laughed.  “Sinful angel.”  He recalled now that he’d smelled turpentine and oils for about a week now.  “You must be a painter.  You moved in about a week ago?”

 

Liesl nodded then bit her lip.  “Yes.  To both.  I hope that I haven’t bothered you with the smell.”

 

Ed shook his head, causing his ponytail to swish across both shoulders.  “No.  I’m not here much during the day.”

 

“And you aren’t here much at night either.  I’ve heard you coming up the steps very late.”

 

“Which is why Wilhelm got pissed off at me.”

 

“Didn’t he know what you were like before he moved in?”

 

“Yes.  But he thought it would change just because we were living together.”

 

“Huh.  Rather silly of him to think that.”  Liesl rested her hand on her chin and stared at him.  “You have the most beautiful golden eyes I have ever seen.  In fact, I’ve never seen golden eyes before.  You must be from another world!”  She giggled.

 

Ed almost choked.  _She’d never believe the truth!_   “Why are you living here?  Why aren’t you living with your parents or your brother?”  Then he recalled that she’d used past tense when referring to her brother.

 

Tears came to her eyes but they did not fall.  “My parents were killed in a train accident when I was nine, in 1908.  My brother…died…a year later.”

 

“I’m sorry.  It must have been hard losing your family so quickly.”  _So, she’s eighteen.  The same age as I am._

 

“Yes.”  Liesl abruptly stood up.  “Are you hungry?”

 

Ed blinked  “Ahh.  Yes.”

 

Liesl smiled.  “Good!  Have supper with me!  I was able to pick up some decent vegetables and bread at the market.  I was even able to get some meat!”  There had been a shortage of everything since the War had started three years before.  Meat was a rarity.

 

“What sort of meat?”

 

Liesl gave a wry smile.  “I didn’t ask and the butcher did not tell.”

 

Ed laughed and tossed the no longer ice filled towel into the sink.  “As long as it didn’t used to be human, we’ll probably be okay.”

 

Liesl wrinkled her nose.  “Now that’s just gross!”  She led the way out into the hall and waited as Ed locked the door behind him. 

 

They walked a few feet down and she opened her own door, motioning Ed to go in first.  The layout was identical to his own flat, just reversed.   The major difference between his flat and her was the fact her’s was MUCH neater despite all of the paintings stacked against the walls.  Liesl walked into the kitchen and pulled items out of the icebox.  “Make yourself comfortable.  You can look at my paintings if you want.”  She began the task of making supper.  “It’s strange isn’t it?  We’re at war and food is difficult to get yet I don’t have a problem getting painting supplies.”

 

“The world is strange, most of the time.”  Ed began looking around the room.  On the easel was the beginning of a painting of the Viktualienmarkt.  As he wandered around the small room, he noticed a leather portfolio on the mantle above the fireplace.  He moved closer to look.

 

His heart stopped.  His fingers shook as he picked up the portfolio.  It contained a single photograph.  A young girl that was obviously Liesl and a man in a military uniform.  The uniform and the hairstyle were different but the face and that damned half-smile were the same.

 

Liesl’s brother was Roy Mustang.  Or, Roy’s counterpart in this world.  _He’s dead.  Here, in this world.  He’s dead.  When did he die?  1909?_ By now, Ed had figured out that the time between both worlds were roughly parallel to each other.  _Wait, that was after the end of the Isvalian War!  Roy almost committed suicide back then, Hughes told me!  Could her brother’s death led Roy to almost do the same?_

 

“His name was Richard.”  The quiet voice came from behind him.

 

Ed turned, still holding the portfolio in his hand.  He looked at Liesl.  She was certainly shorter than Roy.  Her face was softer and rounder, but her dark eyes had that same sparkle of life.  It had been a long time but he could see Roy in her features.  _So, this is what Roy would look like if he was a girl._   He managed not to smile.  “What?”

 

Liesl laid her fingers gently on the photograph.  “His name was Richard.  He was a beautiful person.  Many said that he was the devil in disguise because he had a sharp tongue and a sarcastic wit but he loved me.”

 

“How did he die?”

 

Liesl turned away, wrapping her arms around herself.  “He met a man.  They became lovers.  Then that man took some important papers that Richard was in charge of and gave them to…someone…I never learned exactly who.  He was caught.  But somehow he managed to blame Richard for it.  He said that Richard seduced him and forced him.  The military wanted to keep things quiet so for the sake of ‘honor’ they left Richard in a room with a gun that had a single bullet in it.”

 

Ed winced.  He was sort of familiar with that sort of “honor.”  The Amestrian military did the same sort of thing.  _If his counterpart here committed suicide, or was forced to commit suicide, no wonder that Roy almost killed himself._

 

“Ed, may I ask you a personal question?”

 

“Sure.  What?”

 

Liesl bit her lip.  “It is wartime…how have you managed not to get conscripted?”

 

Ed smiled.  “Two reasons.  I’m not a German citizen and I’m crippled.  One leg is shorter than the other.”  He didn’t see any reason to tell her about his automail.  She wouldn’t understand.

 

“Oh.  I’m sorry!”

 

“Don’t be.  I manage pretty well.”

 

Liesl smiled at him and went back to finishing the meal.  Ed sat down at the small table and watched.  It brought back good memories of his mother.  When the food was done, Liesl placed it before him and the pair began to eat.

 

“Liesl, may I ask you a personal question?”

 

“You answered mine.  I can do no less than to answer yours.”

 

“Why aren’t you living with family?  You’re eighteen.  The same age I am.  I’m guessing that your family was well off but, you’re a girl.  You shouldn’t be on your own like this.”

 

Liesl smiled sadly.  “We were well off.  Probably still are.  I don’t know.  After Richard died, I was sent to live with an Aunt.  She was absolutely mortified about Richard.  His…suicide and his preferences.  So, she never let me forget it.  I put up with it for as long as I could and I left Frankfurt last year.  I’ve been here since.”

 

“It must have been hard on you.”

 

Liesl shrugged.  “A bit.  But I think that I’ve been true to myself.  I’ve gone hungry…but then who hasn’t during this time.  But I have never sold myself, my honor or my dignity to put food in my mouth.”

 

Ed smiled.  “You’re better than me.  Before I came here, I did things that I shouldn’t have…and I paid for it.”  Liesl reached out a hand and placed over his gloved automail hand.  He patted her hand with his real one.  “But, I have survived.  I will not die until I have acomplished what I have set out to do.”

 

Liesl was curious.  “What’s that?”

 

“To go home.”


	2. Chapter 2

Munich 1918

 

_Ed will be happy to hear this!_

 

Liesl gathered her skirt in both hands and ran up the steps to her floor, her artist’s bag thumping her hip.  _It’s been so long it seems like forever!_

 

She ran past her flat and burst into Ed’s without even knocking.  “Ed!  It’s over!  It’s…”

 

She stopped shock.  It wasn’t as if she had never seen a man without his shirt on.  But she had never seen ED without his shirt.  She could only stare as Ed scrambled to try and cover the strange metal arm that was attached to his body.  Onyx eyes met slightly fearful golden ones.

 

“Ed?”

 

Ed sighed and gave up trying to cover his automail.  “Hello, Liesl.  What’s over?”

 

Liesl approached the table, her eyes still fastened on his arm.  She replied almost absently “The War.”  She reached out with a cautious hand and touched his arm.  Her fingers trembled slightly but she laughed softly when he turned his arm over and wiggled his fingers at her.

 

“The War’s over?  That’s wonderful news!”  Ed picked up the screwdriver that he’d dropped when Liesl had entered the flat and held it out to her.  “Would you help me?  I’m guessing that Germany surrendered.”

 

Liesl sat down next to him and took the screwdriver.  “Yes, or actually, we’ve admitted responsibility for it.  What do you want me to do?”

 

He pointed to a spot on the metal arm “Tighten that screw there.  What are the demands?”

 

“Germany is going to have to pay 132 Billion gold marks.  At least that’s what rumored at the moment.”

 

Ed’s jaw dropped.  The amount was astronomical!  Ludicrous!  His mind got to work thinking about all of the possibilities.  “This isn’t going to be good.”

 

Liesl finished tightening the screw.  Her dark eyes looked into his golden ones.  “What do you mean?”

 

Ed ran his human hand through his hair.  “I’m just thinking out loud.  But it’s going to take decades for Germany to pay back that amount of money.  It isn’t going to be anytime soon.  It’s going to take a while for the economy to recover.  So much has been destroyed or lost.”  _If things start going further downhill, I’m going to have to leave.  I’ll take Liesl with me.  She can paint anywhere.  I know that she loves Germany but she just won’t be safe here alone.  Look what happened when she went to buy black market food!_

 

That was one of the biggest arguments the two friends had.  Liesl had heard about someone who had food for sale, if one had enough money.  When he heard that Liesl was planning to go, he told her that it was too dangerous, too risky.  She didn’t know these people.  She argued that they were people who were just trying to survive like everyone else.  The argument lasted for three hours before he finally shouted at her that she wasn’t going alone period!  End of argument!

 

Which was a good thing.  They hadn’t been at the abandoned warehouse but a few minutes when Ed heard a strange scraping noise.  He grabbed Liesl by the hand and began shoving her to the back of the building.  She began to protest but he covered her mouth and literally carried her into the shadows.  He spotted a staircase and quickly moved towards it.  “There’s something wrong.  Be quiet!” was breathed softly into her ear.  Suddenly there were shouts and bright lanterns flaring into the gloom.  It was the police.

 

Ed quickly and quietly led Liesl up the stairs and found an exit to the roof.  He led her into the shadows of a dormer on the roof.  They watched as the police dragged people out into the street and began to beat them.  They could hear the cries of pain as they echoed up the buildings.  Liesl buried her face in Ed’s shoulder and shook.  He watched with hard eyes, hands gently stroking her back, until it was over.  They stayed there even after the police and the people they had captured had left.  Ed wanted to make sure that there wasn’t a spy left behind.

 

“Anything else you want me to do?”  Liesl’s voice startled him back to the present.

 

“Ah…yeah.”  He pointed out a few other places.

 

“Ed, this…arm…it didn’t come from this world did it?”

 

“No.”

 

Liesl bit her lip.  Ed had told her that he wasn’t from this world.  That he had family and friends in another world.  In a country called Amestris.  That one of them looked like her brother, Richard.  She hadn’t believed him.  Until now.  Until seeing his fantastical arm.

 

“I’m sorry.”  She whispered.

 

Ed put his hand under her chin and tilted it up so that he could see her eyes.  “For what?”

 

“Not believing you.”

 

Ed smiled.  “Liesl, five years ago if you had appeared before me and told me of the things in THIS world, I would have tied you up and hauled you to the nearest doctor.”

 

She giggled at that.  “What would your friends think of you now?”

 

“They would be shocked.  Absolutely shocked.  I would have screaming rages over little things.  Like my height, milk.  Stupid stuff.  But, here…well, I learned very quickly to stop that.  It was counterproductive.”

 

“You want to go home.”

 

“Yes.  And I think rocket science will help me do that…” his voice trailed off.

 

Liesl frowned.  “Ed, what’s wrong?”

 

He shook his head, golden ponytail bobbing.  “If the war reparations Germany is going to have to pay are as much as you say…I don’t think things are going to turn for the better.  I might have to leave.”

 

“Don’t go!”  Liesl’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of Ed disappearing from her life.

 

He stroked her cheek with his human hand.  “Would you come with me if I do leave?  I know that you would be leaving all that is familiar to you, but would you come.”

 

She captured his hand in hers.  “The only thing that is important for me here is you.  YOU are my friend.  I will follow you wherever you want to go.”

 

Ed laughed.  “You sound like an obedient wife.  Which we both know that I will never have.”  He paused for a moment.  “But that might not be a bad idea.”

 

“What?  Me being your wife?”  Liesl wasn’t stupid.  She knew that having a wife would keep people from finding out about his preferences for men.

 

“Yeah.”  He looked at her and knew what she was thinking.  “Not just for hiding the fact that I love men over women but it would be easier for you to leave the country if you are my wife.  After all, wives must obey their husbands.”

 

They looked at each other and laughed.  Many of the husbands in the building obeyed their wives, not the other “proper” way.

 

“Are you talking about a real marriage before a priest or magistrate?  Or just forged papers saying that we’re married?”

 

“Forged papers can be too easily found out.  We better do it right.”  He looked her straight in the eye.  “But, I will never make love to you.  I want you to understand that.  I do love you, Liesl but strictly as a friend.  Not as a lover.”

 

Liesl smiled sweetly and kissed him on the nose.  “I know.  I love you too, my friend.  But the idea of…well.”  She blushed.  “No.”

 

“If I ever find a way to get back to Amestris, I’m taking you with me.”

 

“You’ll have to teach me the language.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note #1 – According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_reparations) the final total decided in 1921 was 269 billion gold marks.
> 
> Author’s Note #2 – I have no clue as to whether or not there was black-market food being sold or not. Nor do I know if the police would have handled those caught by beating them. But I wouldn’t be surprised about either one.


	3. Chapter 3

Munich 1923

 

Liesl moved quickly around the kitchen preparing the night’s supper.  Ed invited a friend over.  A man named Alfons Heiderich, whom Ed said looked exactly like his brother, Alphonse.  He had known the man for almost a year and this was the first time that he had been able to convince him to have dinner with them.

 

She and Ed had been married for just over four years now.  They had moved from their respective flats to a rented house across the city to be closer to his work.  It was a nice neighborhood although she knew that they appalled the neighbors because she was a painter and the fact that Ed was doing nothing to stop her “frivolous activity.”  But the old bats on the street couldn’t complain that she kept a dirty house or that she didn’t make sure that there was food on the table when Ed came home or that they weren’t always neat and clean in their clothes and appearance.

 

The only other fly on her otherwise perfect life were the monthly questions about her having a baby.  She thanked God that Ed never heard any of the sly questions and innuendos.  Even though he said that he had grown out of the rages of his youth, he still periodically had them.  And questions about when they were going to have a baby would certainly set him off.

 

She paused for a moment.  Actually, there was another fly in her life.  No, more like a wasp.  She wasn’t a rabid follower of the news like Ed was but she could see the changes in her country.  The National Socialist German Workers' Party had her, and Ed, worried.  Ed had already had a few run-ins with some people affiliated with them due to his limp and their hatred of people with infirmities.  Not to mention their hatred of pretty much everyone who were not them.

 

Ed insisted that she keep her identity papers with her at all times.  And he had her sew gold coins into a packet that she kept in her undergarments and she kept another packet in her artist’s bag, along with the portfolio that held the picture of her brother Richard in it.  She never displayed it anymore, seeing Richard reminded him of his Col. Mustang and it hurt him.  But she was afraid not to have it near her.  Something told her that she needed to keep it with her at all times.  She told Ed about her feeling and he told her not to ignore it, to do what she felt was right.  And to let him know when she had those feelings.

 

She peeked out the window to see if Ed was coming with his friend.  He had warned her that Alfons might cough a lot but that he didn’t suffer from tuberculosis so she needn’t worry.  She smiled as she saw Ed’s familiar form turn the corner.  She pulled back and quickly made sure that everything was still tidy for their guest.

Ed’s keys jingled as he unlocked the front door.  “Welcome to our home.” He said as he held open the door for Alfons.

 

“Thank you.”  Alfons entered and looked around.  There were many paintings on the walls.  “Did your wife do these?”

 

“Most of them.  A few of them aren’t hers.  There are some that her friends painted and gave to her or us as gifts.”  He smiled as Liesl entered the foyer.  He held out his hand to her.  “Liesl, this is Alfons Heiderich.  Alfons, this is my wife, Liesl.”

 

Alfons smiled “Thank you for having me for supper, _Frau_ Elric.  These are for you.”  He handed over a bouquet of flowers.

 

Liesl smiled as she sniffed deeply.  “Thank you very much, _Herr_ Heiderich.  Please come in and sit down.  Supper is almost ready.”  She turned and went back into the kitchen.

 

Ed led Alfons to the dining room.  “Sit down.  What would you like to drink?”

 

Alfons coughed lightly.  “Water, please.”

 

Ed smiled, “Water it is.”  He smiled as Liesl came into the room carrying a vase with Alfons’ flowers in it.  “Liesl, water or wine?”

 

“Water’s fine.”  She placed the vase on the sideboard then went back to the kitchen.

 

Ed poured water for all three of them then sat down next to Alfons.  He sighed as the weight eased off his leg.

 

“Are you alright?”  Alfons looked at him with worried blue eyes

 

“Hmm?  Oh, yes, I’m fine.  My leg just gets tired after a while.  I really shouldn’t stand on it so much but…” he shrugged.

 

The two men chatted about work until Liesl came in and began placing food on the table.  She served up their plates and they began to eat.  “Let me be honest with you Alfons.  I don’t trust that woman, Dietlinde Eckhart or that Rudolf Hess.  There’s something… dirty…about them.

 

Alfons nodded as he swallowed his mouthful of food.  “I agree.  I don’t trust that assistant of hers, Jan Adler…”

 

Both men jumped when Liesl dropped her fork onto her plate.  She blushed.  “Sorry.”

 

Ed patted her hand gently.  Turning back to Alfons  “I don’t trust Adler either.  He’s approached two or three of the others, as if he’s trying to seduce them.  And when they react badly, he acts as if they misunderstood what he was trying to do.  Lousy actor if you ask me.” 

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Liesl was pale and that her hands were trembling.  She hadn’t been acting that way until Adler was mentioned.  He certainly was going to ask her about it later, after Alfons had left.

 

“Good night, Alfons.  I’ll see you in the morning.”  Alfons waved then walked up the street.  Ed watched for a moment more, then shut and locked the door.  He knew that Liesl was in their bedroom; she had made herself scarce after supper while he and Alfons talked.

 

He found her sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair.  He sat down on the bed and watched as she began to braid it for the night.  He waited until she was finished then spoke.  “Liesl, you reacted when the name ‘Jan Adler’ was mentioned.  How do you know that name?”

 

She turned to him; her eyes had filled with tears.  She bit her lip and took a deep breath.  “Jan Adler was the name of the man that accused my brother of seducing him.”

 

“Shit!”  Ed stood up and began to pace.  “Are you sure?”  Liesl nodded.  “Damn.  We are probably in deep, deep trouble.  What did he look like?”

 

“It’s been a long time…but dark blond, glasses, brown eyes…oh!  And a scar that went through his right eyebrow.”

 

“Same guy.  It has to be.”  Ed stopped pacing.  “This isn’t good.  I _know_ this isn’t good.  Tomorrow, I want you to carefully start selling what you can.  I think we’re going to have to leave Germany.”

 

Over the next few weeks, she did as Ed wanted.  Carefully selling her paintings and other easily portable household items.  It was hard keeping things out of sight of the neighbors prying eyes, but she managed.  Ed would take the money and exchange it for gold that she sewed into his vest.  She even sewed some into a skirt that she didn’t wear but kept close at hand.  He would come home frustrated because Alfons, despite not liking Eckhart, Hess or Adler, refused to see the danger that they were in.  “DAMNED IDIOT!  He only wants to work on the rockets; he refuses to see that we are in trouble!  He’s more interested in proving that Germany can be the best in science.”

 

Late one night, it all came to a head.  As they finished cleaning up the supper dishes, there was a frantic knock on the door.  Ed motioned for Liesl to stay back as he grabbed a club he kept near the door.  He cautiously opened the door then opened it the rest of the way.  “Alfons!  Come in!  What’s wrong?”

 

“Everything!”  Alfons was clearly upset.  “I overheard Eckhart and Hess talking.  They were talking about invading another world using magic.  They’re planning on doing it soon.  Using the rockets!  They said that with the help of ‘the dragon’ they could do it!”

 

Ed pulled Alfons inside and shut the door, locking it carefully.  “Dragon?  What dragon?  Oh, hell!  Never mind.  What do you want to do?”

 

“Destroy everything.  I don’t want my work to be used for evil.  I know that’s what _they_ are going to use it for.  Something evil.  Will you help me destroy everything?”

 

“Of course!” came back the prompt reply.  “Let me grab a few things and we’ll go.”  He looked at Alfons.  “You do realize that we’ll have to flee the country after we do this, right?”

 

Alfons swallowed.  “I know.”  He whispered.

 

Ed turned to Liesl.  “Get what we discussed.  Alfons and I will go and blow up the lab and we’ll meet you at the train station.”

 

Liesl looked him in the eye.  “No.”

 

Ed was astonished.  “No?  What do you mean ‘No’?”

 

Liesl took a deep breath.  “I’m having one of my feelings.  I’m going with you.  I will not leave you.”

 

Ed rubbed his eyes.  He wasn’t going to argue with her.  They didn’t have time.  “Fine.  Go change.  Wear that one skirt.”

 

Liesl nodded and ran upstairs.

 

Ed pulled on his brown coat over the vest and shirt he was still wearing.  Out of a closet, he pulled out a messenger bag and draped it over his head and across his shoulder adjusting it until it rested against his hip.  Liesl came down wearing a dark blue coat and matching skirt.  She, too, had her bag over her shoulder.

 

Alfons looked at the pair.  “You’ve been planning to leave, haven’t you?”

 

Ed looked him in the eye.  “Yes.  For a while now.”

 

Alfons closed his eyes.  “I am a fool.”

 

Placing a hand on Alfons’ shoulder, Ed spoke.  “No, you are not a fool.  You just want to believe in the goodness of everyone.”  He looked at Liesl and silently held out his hand.  She took hold of it.  He gave one last look at their home.  “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note #1 - The National Socialist German Workers' Party aka The Nazi Party
> 
> Author’s Note #2 – Tuberculosis was and still is a terrible disease. And extremely contagious, which is why many cities and towns have anti-spitting laws. According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis) in France 1918, one in six deaths were still caused by TB. If you read the Epidemiology section (not to mention the rest of the article), you will understand why people freaked out when Andrew Speaker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_tuberculosis_scare) traveled about the world while infected with TB.


	4. Chapter 4

Central Command 1923

 

Major General Roy Mustang didn’t waste his breath cursing as he ran out the doors of the Headquarters building.  He barely even glanced at the destruction that was going on around him.  He shouted orders as he ran towards the chaos.  Soldiers either followed him or ran in other directions at his orders.

 

He did curse the fact that Lt. General Armstrong and her crew had left just hours earlier to return to Briggs.  They would have been a great deal of help.  He could see that Col. Armstrong already had his uniform jacket and shirt off and was attacking the strangely armored soldiers that were coming through the strange array.

 

He didn’t even flinch as Col. Hawkeye began firing her rifle past his shoulder.  He saw an enemy and snapped his fingers, his flames annihilating the enemy in seconds.

 

Roy heard Hawkeye gasp as a woman fell out of the array.  He could tell that she was unconscious by the way her body was falling but before he could yell at Armstrong to do something…a giant hand shot out of a building and caught her.

 

A giant hand of a style that he hadn’t seen in eight long years. 

 

“It can’t be!” he breathed.  Even as he kept using his flames against the enemy, he didn’t see them.  He was looking for a blond boy that he had been missing for a very long time.  At first he didn’t see him but he realized he was looking for someone in a red coat and black shirt and trousers with a blond braid.  He didn’t see that but he see a man wearing brown with a blond ponytail.

 

It was Edward Elric!  Not the boy Roy remembered but a man grown.  And a very angry man from the amount of damage that Ed was doing.

 

Roy turned as he heard a woman’s voice shriek something that he didn’t understand.  He saw a man with short dark blond hair and glasses shoot the woman who had fallen from the array.  She staggered, dropped the metal bar she was holding and collapsed.  Roy felt his adrenaline surge with rage.  He snapped his fingers and the flames burned the man’s hand off.  The man stared at him in horror.  “Nicht du! Ich habe dich getötet!”

 

Roy didn’t understand what he was saying but the man’s words enraged him further and with another snap he burned the man to ash.

 

Suddenly the array collapsed.  Roy turned just in time to see Ed remove one of his giant spears from the body of a woman.  The body dissolved as it fell to the ground.  He could tell that Ed was injured and began making his way across the battlefield.  It was obvious that Ed didn’t see him because he began running towards the woman who had been shot.  Roy began moving towards them.

 

“Liesl!  Liesl!”  Ed’s automail leg collapsed under him.  His automail arm wasn’t much better, but he dragged himself to Liesl’s side.  “Leisl, hang in there!  Help is coming!”  He looked around wildly and spotted Roy.  “ROY!  ROY!  Get someone!  She needs help!  HURRY!”

 

Roy ran the last few yards, Hawkeye right behind him.  He stopped just in time to hear the woman say something in a language he’d never heard before.  “Ed sah ich Richard. Er war erstaunlich! Ein Krieger der Flamme ...”

 

Ed kissed her cheek and spoke softly in her ear.  Roy felt a surge of jealously.  Then he felt ridiculous.  He hadn’t seen Ed in eight years.  How the hell could he possibly be jealous!

 

Ed push himself upright using his automail arm, “Roy…” then the arm shattered, throwing Ed to the ground.  He hit his head and fell across the woman, unconscious.

 

A few hours later, Roy walked down the hall toward the room that Edward Elric and the woman that was with him had been assigned.  He opened the door and paused for a moment at the sight of the crowded room.  His entire crew was there:  Hawkeye, Breda, Havoc, Falman and Fuery.  There was also, to his surprise, Alphonse Elric and Winry Rockbell.

 

“Sir!”  Hawkeye saluted, the others right behind her.

 

He nodded to his people but addressed Al and Winry.  “You two got here fast.”

 

Al spoke.  “We were already here.  I came back to do some studying.  Winry came along to visit with Mrs. Hughes.  I fought those…things…in the city.  Then when I was checking on Winry, Mrs. Hughes and Elicia, Captain Fuery came and told us about Ed.”

 

“I see.” He looked at Ed and the strange woman sleeping in their hospital beds.  “What is their condition?”  He felt one hand tighten into a fist as he saw the matching gold bands on their left ring fingers.  _Ed MARRIED her!_

 

“Stable, sir.”  Hawkeye spoke matter-of-factly.  “They should be waking up soon.  The doctors want to keep them for the next several days, though.  Ed, especially, will not be allowed to go anywhere.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

Winry stepped forward.  “General Mustang, you’ll have to see to understand.”  She pulled back the sheet exposing Ed’s body.  Roy raised an eyebrow at her boldness.  Fortunately someone made sure he had underwear on.  Both automail limbs had been removed.  Winry placed the remains of the automail leg on the bed, aligning it with the port.  Even though there wasn’t much of the leg left, he could see that it was about three inches shorter than the right.  “He grew!  With that much difference, he should have been limping like hell, but I didn’t notice anything when he was fighting.”

 

Winry nodded  “He did grow.  In fact, he should be in a lot of pain because not only are his arm and leg too short for him now, his ports are too small.”  She covered Ed back up again.  “I’ll need to get started on making new ports as well as the arm and leg.”

 

“Whatever it is you need, make a list.  Fuery and Falman can get it for you.  I’ll also make sure that you can have a surgical room and whatever help you require to do the replacements.”

 

Winry’s eyes filled with tears.  “Thank you, General.”  She moved to the desk on the other side of the room and pulled out paper and pen and began writing her lists.  Fuery and Falman looked over her shoulder, quietly asking questions.

 

“Sir, take a look at these.”  Breda held up a pair of boots, made for a man.  Roy just looked at him.  Breda smiled.  “Yeah, I know, it’s a pair of boots.  Nicely made ones too, expensive.  But feel inside this one.”  He tossed the left boot at Roy.

 

Roy stuck his hand down inside and had a shock.  It was elevated inside.  Then he understood.  The reason why Ed wasn’t limping was because the shoemaker compensated for the difference between the two legs _inside_ the boot.  Clever.  Very clever!

 

“There is also this, sir.”  Hawkeye gestured to a table under the window.  Piled neatly on top was the clothes Ed and the woman were wearing, two leather bags similar to the ones messengers used…and stacks of gold coins.  “The medical staff found a packet of gold coins inside the woman’s undergarments and Havoc realized that there were coins sewn inside the hem of her skirt as well as inside Ed’s vest.”

 

“Hidden gold coins?”  Roy walked over to the table and picked one up.  Heavy like gold should be.  The markings on the coins were certainly different.  But they did look official.  “Hidden gold is a sign of someone on the run, isn’t it.”  The others didn’t answer because they realized that he was musing out loud.  “What were you running from, Ed?”

 

“Sir?”  Al spoke.

 

“Yes, Al?”

 

“May I look through Brother’s bag?  It might give us clues.”

 

Roy looked at the bag marked with a scrolled EE and picked it up.  He sat down in the chair by the window and opened the bag.  Inside where several notebooks.  He pulled one out and opened it.  It was in Ed’s horrible writing and equally horrible code.  He pulled everything out of the bag and found another packet of gold coins.  He set that on the table and handed the notebooks to Al.  “Well, see what you can make of those.”

 

Al gave that bright smile of his and began to read, shutting out the world around him.

 

Roy picked up the other bag and opened it.  He began pulling out colored pencils and pastels as well as a set of brushes.  “She’s an artist.”  He found another packet of gold.  “They really packed the gold away, didn’t they.”  He pulled out a sketchbook and began paging through it.  The bag nearly slid off his lap and he absently caught it, not noticing the small portfolio that slid out and onto the floor.

 

Hawkeye bent down and picked it up.  She opened it and looked inside.  She gasped and turned pale.  “Riza, what’s wrong?” asked Havoc.  The others were surprised she didn’t shoot Havoc for using her first name.  Her hand shook as she held the portfolio out to Roy.

 

“Sir, you need to look at this.”

 

Roy frowned at her but took the portfolio from her hand.  Inside was a black and white photograph.  Sitting in a chair was a young girl.  He looked at her face, then at the woman in the bed next to Ed’s.  It was obviously the same person.  Then he focused on the man’s face.  He could feel the blood drain from his head.  The hairstyle was different.  As was the uniform.  But the face was his.  “What the hell?!  I’ve never seen her in my life!  How the hell could I have had my picture taken with her?!”  He stared in shock at the woman then back at the photo.  His hands shook as he placed the portfolio on the desk, making sure the disturbing photo was hidden from view.

 

Havoc put one of his endless cigarettes into his mouth but didn’t light it.  “Where the hell were you, Ed?  And what were you up to?”

 

Mustang snorted.  “That’s the question of the century isn’t it.”  He continued looking through the sketchbook trying to keep his mind of the photo…when he saw something that DID take his mind off the photo.

 

It was a drawing.  Merely done in colored pencil but it was incredible.  It was of Ed.  His long hair was undone and about his shoulders.  He was resting his head on a pillow that covered his automail arm.  His chest was bare but the details were incredible.  Every muscle was outlined in bold relief.  His human hand rested just above his groin, holding onto a sheet that barely kept him from being exposed.  The sheet covered his left leg but his right leg and hip were bare.

 

It was an incredible picture and Roy had to fight a sudden urge to burn to death the woman who made it.  SHE had seen Ed nude.  SHE married him.  SHE was able to do sketches like this whenever she wanted.  _You are a fool Roy Mustang.  You are jealous over something that you never had.  And never will have.  He isn’t a homosexual.  Ed is married to this woman.  He will never want to be with you._

 

A moan of pain came from Ed’s bed.  Roy shot to his feet, dropping everything to the floor.  Al did the same thing and the two men moved to either side of Ed’s bed.  Roy spoke softly.  “Ed, it’s all right.  You’re home.  You’re back in Central.”

 

“Brother!”  Al’s voice was tight with tears.  “Brother, I’m here.  So is Winry.”  The others had gathered at the foot of Ed’s bed.  Quietly watching.

 

Ed moaned again.  Roy looked at Hawkeye.  “He’s in pain.  Get the doctor in here to get him some laudanum.”

 

Ed’s left hand reached out and grabbed Roy’s arm.  Roy, shocked by the thrill of pleasure that ran through him at Ed’s touch, looked into golden eyes that were dull with pain.  “No.  Please, Roy, no.  No laudanum.  I promised Leisl.”

 

“Brother, you’re in pain.”

 

Ed’s voice grew stronger.  “No.  I won’t take it.  I won’t become addicted again.”

 

Roy smiled, hiding his shock at Ed’s words.  “Okay, Ed.  No laudanum.  I promise.”  He looked at Hawkeye.  “Get the doctor.  See if they have something to alleviate his pain but won’t be addicting.”

 

Ed smiled.  “Thank you, Roy.”  He looked at Al.  “Hey, Al.  I’m home.”

 

Al laughed despite the tears rolling down his face.  “Yes you are, Brother.  Yes you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note #1 – “Nicht du! Ich habe dich getötet!” is “Not you! I killed you!”
> 
> Author’s Note #2 - “Ed sah ich Richard. Er war erstaunlich! Ein Krieger der Flamme ...” is “Ed, I saw Richard. He was amazing! A Warrior of Flame…”
> 
> Author’s Note # 3 – My inspiration for the description of the picture Liesl drew of Ed came from a wonderful artist called Rueme on DeviantArt. Her work called “Good Morning” (http://rueme.deviantart.com/gallery/26258900#/d2tt285) is simply YUMMY!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

Central Command 1923

 

 

“It’s not as effective as the various opiates but it’s certainly less addicting.  Please, let me know if or when you need anything else.”

 

“Thank you, doctor.”

 

As the door shut behind the doctor, Ed spoke.  “I want to sit up.”

 

“Is that such a good idea, Brother?”

 

“Don’t really care.  I need to sit up.”  Roy and Al helped him sit upright while Hawkeye rearranged the pillows behind him.  Ed leaned back with a sigh and took a good look at all of the people he had long ago decided was his family.  “Hello, Al.”  He held out his arm.  Al grabbed him and the two hugged.  He looked over at Winry.  “Hey, aren’t you going to hug me too?”  Winry laughed and complied.  “Al, you look wonderful.  Winry, you do too!”  He looked at their hands and saw matching wedding bands.  “Wait, what’s this?  Are the two of you married?”

 

Al fidgeted  “Yes, for two years now.”

 

Ed’s grin grew wider.  “That’s just wonderful!  I’m very happy for the two of you!  So, am I an uncle yet?”

 

Al and Winry both blushed.  Winry spoke.  “Well, you’re going to be one in five months.”

 

A chorus of congratulations came from all around the room.  Ed’s smile got even bigger.  “That’s great!”  He looked at everyone.  “We’re going to be Aunts and Uncles!”

 

Havoc muttered to Breda, “Hawkeye’s baby gift will probably be a gun.”  Breda snickered with him and both flinched when Hawkeye glared.  “Shit!  She heard!”

 

Ed looked at Roy, still smiling.  “Congratulations on being a General, Roy.” he winked at Hawkeye.  “So, even though you’re a Colonel now, you still have to baby-sit _him_?”

 

Hawkeye smiled, her brown eyes twinkling.  “It was discovered that he wouldn’t do his paperwork unless I was around.”  Roy just rolled his eyes.

 

He grinned at the rest of Roy’s crew.  “Congratulations your promotions as well, guys.”  He paused for a moment.  “By the way each of you owes me 5000 cenz.”

 

“Little bastard would remember _that_!” muttered Havoc.

 

Ed looked over at the woman in the bed next to them.  His face grew worried.  “Is Liesl okay?”

 

Hawkeye spoke “She was shot.  The bullet hit her spleen.  The doctors had to remove it but they think that she should recover nicely but she needs to rest for several days.”

 

Ed closed his eyes and sighed.  “Good.  I’m glad she’s going to be fine.”

 

Roy looked at Ed.  This Ed was not the angry boy from eight years ago.  He had grown up in the time that he’d been gone.

 

“Where have you been all this time, Ed?” asked Winry.

 

Ed sighed and wriggled further into the pillows.  “In a world on the other side of the Gate.  I ended up in a country called England then traveled around a continent called Europe and finally lived in a country called Germany for several years.  They don’t have alchemy on the Other Side, so I studied science to try and get back over.”

 

“How did you get back here?” asked Falman.

 

Ed scowled.  “Because of the actions of a stupid woman named Dietlinde Eckhart and her flunkies Rudolf Hess and Jan Alder.”

 

“And this woman who came through the array with you.  Who is she?” asked Roy quietly.

 

Ed looked at Roy.  “Her name is Liesl Reinhardt…Elric.  She’s my wife.”

 

Roy felt his heart stop at that announcement.  He could feel his jaw twitch.

 

Winry asked “How did you meet?”

 

“We met after I threw my latest lover out for hitting me.  The bastard!”  Ed scowled again at the memory.

 

“Brother…’bastard’?” asked Al hesitantly.

 

Ed looked his younger brother straight in the eye.  “Yes.  Bastard.  My lover was a man.  I’m a homosexual, Al.”

 

Roy froze.  _Ed is…a homosexual?  I know I’m not hearing things…but is he really telling the truth?_

 

Al stammered “But…but…you said that Miss Liesl is your wife!”

 

Ed rubbed his forehead.  “She is.  For a few reasons.  Let me finish.  We met after I threw out my lover because she heard the fight and was concerned about me then she invited me over for supper.  When I was in her flat, I saw a photograph of her and a man.”  He looked around and spotted Liesl’s bag and pointed at it.  “She should have in there.  In a black portfolio.”

 

“We saw the photograph.” Roy said quietly.

 

“Oh.  You looked through her bag already.  Then you saw that she’s an artist.”

 

“Yes, I saw several of her sketches.  She’s very good.”  Roy said reluctantly.

 

“Ah, did you see her anatomical study of me?”  Ed laughed wickedly at Roy’s blush.  He went back to his narrative.  “I damn near had a heart attack when I saw that photo.  His name was Richard.  He was forced to commit suicide in 1909.”  Roy straightened in his chair, eyes wide.  Ed nodded solemnly at him.  “Yeah, in our world, it would have been after the Ishvalan War.  Richard was accused of seducing a man and forcing him to steal important documents.  The man’s name was Jan Adler.  Roy, you killed him just a few hours ago.”

 

Roy recalled the look of horror on the man’s face.  “He was horrified to see me.  I don’t know what it was that he said but…he was certainly shocked!”

 

“I’m glad it was you who killed him.  He deserved it.”

 

“Actually, Ed.  I was already angry because he shot your wi…Liesl.”

 

“Considering, in a way, she’s your sister, no wonder.  Well, Liesl and I became friends.  We shared a lot of things.  There was a war going on at that time, so there were food shortages or it was very expensive.  We helped each other out as much as we could.  I have to admit, there were times that we went to bed hungry.”

 

He took a sip of water from a glass that was on the bedside table.  “Anyway, after the war ended, things began to change.  Slowly, quietly.  I wanted to continue my research but I knew that I might have to leave suddenly and I didn’t want to leave Liesl behind.  And it would have been difficult for her to travel with me if she wasn’t my wife.  Our being married provided both of us protection.  Since I was married, most wouldn’t suspect that I was a homosexual and others wouldn’t try and take advantage of Liesl.  Some would consider her to be little better than a whore because she paints and would try and treat her as such.  So, being married protected us both.”

 

He looked at everyone, golden eyes dark with a darker memory.  “She saved my life.  I began to grow, so the ports began to hurt more and more.  I hid that fact from her.  I thought that I could handle it.  I began taking laudanum to ease the pain.”  He closed his eyes and bit his lip.  When he opened them again he looked over at Liesl.  “In some ways she probably deluded herself too because the signs can be very obvious, but when the chemist mentioned to her that I was on my third bottle for the week and it was only Wednesday…she took action.  She refused to give me any more.  I was really, really terrible to her during that time.  It took a week or more before that crap was out of my system.  I don’t know what all I said to her.  She’s never told me but I know it wasn’t nice.  But she stayed beside me, cleaned up the sweat and vomit.”  Tears rolled down his cheeks.  “She helped me survive.”  He wiped the tears away and looked at the others.  Winry and Al were crying also.  Roy and Hawkeye looked stoic.  Breda, Havoc and Falman were grim.  But he was surprised by the look on Fuery’s face…it was as if he knew exactly what Ed had gone through.

 

“Gah!  I was a fool.  But, I did my best to make it up to her.  We moved to a nicer neighborhood not long after.  The only problem was the damned nosey neighbors.  They didn’t like the fact that I ‘allowed’ Liesl to paint.  They thought it was frivolous for a housewife to do that.  Liesl thinks that I don’t know that she was constantly being asked if she was pregnant.  They seemed to think that if she had children, she would stop painting.  The fools!  I would have loved to have turned a few of those old bats into frogs…or at least dropped a few houses on them.”

 

Both Hawkeye and Winry snorted with disgust.  “Like having children will keep someone from their passion!” said Hawkeye.  Winry nodded in agreement.

 

“Brother, how did you get back here?” ask Al.

 

“I was getting to that.”  He swallowed another drink of water.  “About a year ago, I met a man.  His name was Alfons Heiderich.”  Ed smiled and looked at Al.  “He looked exactly like you.  He was also interested in the same thing I was:  rocket science.  We worked together well.”

 

“It took me a while but I finally got him to come to our house for dinner.  Leisl had never told me the name of the man that arranged for her brother to die, but that night I learned that it was Jan Adler.  So I knew Eckhart and her flunkies where up to no good.  But I couldn’t persuade Alfons about that.  He could only see the goodness in people.”

 

“But he overheard Eckhart and some others talking one night.  About invading another world using science and our reasearch.  He came to see me and asked for my help in destroying everything.  The plan was that we’d destroy it then leave Germany.  I tried to get Liesl to wait for us at the train station but she refused.  So all three of us went to the lab.  But they were waiting for us.  Eckhart said that I had a duty to fulfill and she was going to make sure I did it.  She ordered her man Hess to shoot Liesl but Al…” Ed’s voice choked.  “Alfons jumped in front of her.  They killed him.  Liesl tried to attack Adler but she was hit over the head knocking her unconcious.  Eckhart said that if I didn’t behave she’d have Liesl thrown to her men and if she survived, she’d cut Liesl’s throat in front of me.”

 

Roy’s vision ran red with anger.  _First I’m jealous that she’s married to Ed and now I’m pissed off because she was threatened with rape and murder?  I need help!_

 

“Liesl had been hit pretty hard so she never woke up until we got to this side, so she didn’t see what went on.  When we got to the lab, Eckhart took us to an area that I didn’t know existed.  It was underground.  Eckhart had drawn a massive array…and she was using Envy and Dad to help power it with me as the final touch.”

 

Al stared at him in utter shock.  “D…Dad?  She was using Dad.  And Envy?  How did Envy get there?”

 

“Damned if I know, but he was in the shape of a dragon and that bitch had placed Dad in his mouth.  She stabbed me in the side then strung both Liesl and myself by our hands above the array.  Our blood dripped down and activated the array.  I think she thought that Liesl would just be absorbed but obviously that didn’t happen.  Dad and Envy were absorbed though…I saw them come apart as we entered.”

 

Roy spoke quietly.  “So there’s no chance that your father or Envy are still alive.”

 

Ed shrugged.  “I don’t think so, but the Old Man and that piece of shit are pretty remarkable about showing back up.”  He looked at Roy.  “You said that just before you killed Adler, he said something.  What did he say?”

 

Roy thought for a moment and then attempted to repeat what he remembered.  Ed frowned for a moment  “Did he say ‘Nicht du! Ich habe dich getötet!’”  At Roy’s nod, Ed grinned evilly “That means ‘Not you!  I killed you!’ Certainly confirms that he arranged for Richard’s ‘suicide.’  Seriously, I’m glad you were the one who killed him.  I think Liesl will be pleased as well.”

 

“What was it that she said to you before the pair of you passed out?” asked Roy.

 

Ed smiled at him.  “She said ‘Ed, I saw Richard.  He was amazing!  A Warrior of Flame.’”

 

Roy felt himself smiling at the praise of Ed’s wife…his…sister on the Other Side.

 

Everyone turned and looked at the woman on the other bed as she moaned and her eyelids began to flicker.


	6. Chapter 6

Central Command 1923

 

 

Liesl moaned.  Her head turned back and forth as if she was trying to escape a memory.  Her fingers twitched.

 

“Lise!”  Ed lunged for her bedside but he forgot that he was missing a couple of crucial items and almost fell to the floor.

 

“Idiot!”  Roy had to do his own lunging to keep the Fullmetal Moron from breaking his head open on the floor.  He sat on Liesl’s bed, his left leg curled underneath him and Ed sitting in his lap.

 

“Lise.  Lise.  Wake up.  It’s okay.  We’re safe.  You can wake up now.”  Ed stroked her cheek with his hand.  “It’s over.  You don’t have to worry any more.”

 

Her eyelids fluttered for a moment then they opened.  Her dark eyes were unfocused but after blinking a few times, she was able to see Ed clearly.  She reached out for him.  “Ed?  Alfons…”

 

A tear rolled down Ed’s cheek.  Liesl’s eyes widened and tears filled her eyes.  She hissed with pain as she sat up but she wrapped her arms around Ed and the pair cried for their friend.  She didn’t notice the man who was helping keep Ed steady.

 

The others looked at each other.  They were not uncomfortable with the tears but they were surprised that Ed had changed so much that he was able to cry in public without getting angry.

 

Liesl pulled back and sniffled.  “Look at us.  Aren’t we a pair.”  She wiped the tears from her face then from Ed’s.  She gasped in shock.  “ED!  Your arm!  Your leg!  What…what happened!  OH!  How are we…”

 

Ed placed a finger across her lips silencing her.  “It’s okay, Lise.  I’m going to be fine.”  He picked up one of her hands in his.  “Look at me.  There’s something I need to tell you.  We aren’t in Germany anymore.  We’re in Amestris.”

 

Liesl just stared at him.  Then she noticed the other man sitting on her bed.  Her face lost all color to the point where she looked almost gray.  Her eyes dilated with fear and she began to shake.

 

Roy knew what she was thinking.  He smiled at her and held out his hand.  “Hello.  My name is Roy Mustang.  I’m a Major General in the Amestrian military.”  He looked over his shoulder at Hawkeye.  “Could you upright the pillows so Ms. Liesl…” _I’m sure as hell not going to call her Mrs. Elric._ “…can sit up comfortably.”

 

Hawkeye moved around to the side of the bed and fixed the pillows.  She helped Liesl lean back even while Liesl stared at Roy like a rabbit would stare at a hungry fox.

 

“Lise.”  Edward lightly shook her hand to get her attention.  “We’re in Amestris.  Alfons is dead on the Other Side.  But…but my brother, Alphonse, is here.”

 

“You told me that Alfons looked just like your brother, Al.”  Her voice was small.  Roy felt a pang of sympathy for her.  He could barely guess at what she was going through.  Her world had been tossed upside down and sideways.

 

“Yes.  That’s right.”  Ed looked to the side and motioned with his head.  Al stood up and came around Ed’s bed to stand next to him. 

 

Liesl stared at him for a moment then gave a tremulous smile while a tear rolled down.

 

Al smiled gently and held out his hand.  “Hello, Liesl.  I’m Alphonse Elric.  Please, call me Al.”  He motioned to Winry.  “This is my wife, Winry.”

 

“Hello, Liesl.  It’s nice to meet you.  Ed was telling us about you.  Thank you so very much for taking care of him.  Even if he’s an idiot.”

 

Liesl gave a small laugh.  “Ed’s easy to take care of.  Most of the time.”  She looked back to Roy.  “Are you alright?”  Her voice filled with loathing and anger.  “ _That man_ was about to shoot you in the back.”

 

Roy smiled grimly at her.  “I’m not hurt.  I heard you and turned just in time.  I’m sorry I didn’t get him before he shot you…but he’s dead.”

 

Liesl’s eyes widened.  “He’s dead.  He’s really dead?”  Roy nodded.  “When you killed him…did he…suffer?”

 

Roy smiled again.  “He suffered unimaginable pain.”  It wasn’t quite the truth.  The shock of losing his hand would have numbed the pain.  But he understood that Liesl needed to hear that the man who killed her brother suffered.

 

“Good!  God forgive me but I’m glad!  I’m glad!  I’m glad!”  She began to sob.  Roy used his left hand since his right was keeping Ed from falling, and pulled her forward.  Both he and Ed wrapped their arms around her until she finished crying.  “Oh, you must think I do nothing but cry!”

 

“You’ve needed to cry like that for over fifteen years.  You have every right!”  Ed smoothed her hair back from her face.  “Just so you know, Winry is going to work on making me new ports and automail.  It’s just going to take a little while for her to design and build everything.”

 

Winry spoke.  “That shouldn’t take too long.  I already know what I want to do and supplies are easy to get here in Central.  Building everything should take just a few days; especially since Roy has promised me help.  But then there’s your surgery to take off the old and put on the new.  THAT’s what’s going to take several hours.”

 

“But they’ll fit him properly?  So he won’t be in pain anymore?”

 

“Yes.  I promise you they will be the best fitting automail he’s ever had.”  Winry and Liesl gave each other blinding smiles.  Ed knew that the two would be best friends and he was going to be in deep, deep trouble!

 

“Ms. Liesl…”

 

“Please, General Mustang, call me Liesl.”

 

Roy inclined his head to her and smiled charmingly.  “Then you must call me Roy.  Liesl, allow me to introduce you to everyone else.  This is Col. Riza Hawkeye, she keeps me on track.  This is Captain Kain Fuery.  Captain Vato Falman.  Major Heymans Breda.  And Major Jean Havoc.”

 

Each man nodded and wave a hand while Liesl murmured a polite hello but when Havoc was introduced and he moved into her line of sight, she blushed and stammered.  Ed and Roy looked at each other then looked at Havoc who swallowed painfully and tugged at his collar.

 

“What’s going to happen now?” asked Liesl

 

“What do you mean?”  Roy was puzzled by the question.

 

“I think I know what she means.  Put me back on the bed, Roy.”  Roy reluctantly moved Ed back to his hospital bed then sat back down in the chair.  “She wondering what’s going to happen.  ‘Liesl Reinhardt’ doesn’t exist here.  Yet, here she is.”

 

“That can be easily taken care of.” Said Hawkeye.  She looked at Liesl.  “Don’t worry about it.”

 

Ed looked over at the table and the pile of gold coins.  “We’re going to have to do something about the gold too.  It’s going to be obvious that they didn’t come from any known country.  I guess we could melt them down.”

 

Al laughed.  “You’ve been too long without alchemy, Brother.”  Al clapped his hands together and held them over the coins.  When the light of transmutation faded, the coins had become small gold bars.

 

Ed laughed himself.  “You’re right, Al.  It’s has been a long time.”

 

Within a few days, Liesl was well enough to get out of bed and walk up and down the hall.  Mustang made sure that one of his people was with her at all times to deflect any questions that she wouldn’t be able to answer.  It was Havoc’s idea to get various books so that she could learn as much as she could about her new home.

 

Roy was surprised that Ed didn’t object to Havoc spending so much time with Liesl.  They had called themselves man and wife for several years and there had to be some level of love and intimacy there.  When he said something to Ed about it, Ed just smiled and said that he was happy if Liesl was happy.

 

Two weeks after the attack on Central, Winry was ready to operate on Ed.  She apologized that it took longer than she promised but she wanted to make sure of her measurements and that Ed wouldn’t have any problems accepting the new ports and automail.

 

The entire operation took over eight hours to finish.  Roy paced for five of them until Hawkeye threatened to shoot him if he didn’t sit down.  Liesl still got tired easily and fell asleep on Havoc’s shoulder.  Finally, Winry came in smiling.  “It went great.  The biggest problem was removing the old ports.  Parts had rusted or fused together and it took a bit to get it all off.  The new ports attached smoothly.  We just have to wait until he wakes up to see if it all works okay.”

 

Ed stood up.  He held still for a moment to catch his balance then took a cautious step forward.  Then another.  He swung his automail arm back and forth as he continued walking.  A large grin grew bigger across his face.  “This is the best I’ve felt in years!  It’s nice to be able to walk barefoot again!”

 

Liesl stood watching.  Her hands were across her mouth but it was obvious that she was smiling as largely as Ed was.

 

Ed walked towards her and grabbed her in a hug and spun her around making her laugh.  Ed laughed with her.  “Look at this, Lise!  I’m whole again!”

 

Liesl placed her hands on either side of his face.  “Yes.  Yes, you are and I’m happy for you.”  She wrapped her arms around him and the pair stood in the middle of the floor simply enjoying the moment.

 

Roy shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform coat and clenched his fists.  He was happy for Ed but it just killed him inside seeing him with Liesl.  He knew damned good and well that Liesl was a wonderful and loveable woman.  But _she_ had a greater claim to Ed than he did…and he was jealous.  And he felt like a fool for feeling that way.

 

Roy stood at the window of his study and stared down into the garden.  He watched as Ed and Liesl talked.  It looked serious.

 

It had been two months since the pair had moved into Roy’s home at his invitation.  At first, the pair shared a room and, presumably, the bed.  But after a few weeks, Liesl quietly moved into a separate room.  They never said why and Roy hadn’t asked.

 

He moved away from the window and sat at the desk, head in his hands.  He felt sick.  He wanted Ed.  He wanted Ed in his life but most of all he wanted Ed in his arms and bed.  He wanted to feel that long golden hair move down his body while Ed kissed his way down his torso.  He wanted to feels those hands, both flesh and metal, grasp his back as he made love to Ed.

 

But Ed was married.  To Liesl.  To a woman, who was his sister in a way.  To a woman he had come to love as if she really was his sister.

 

He heard a car arrived and walked across the large room to look out the window that overlooked the driveway.  It was Havoc’s car.  He continued to look out the window as he waited for the knock on the study door that never came.

 

He watched as Havoc exited the house with Liesl.  Havoc opened the passenger side door and helped her inside.  He jogged around to the driver’s side, got in and they drove off.

 

“Roy?”

 

He turned and looked.  It was Ed.  An Ed with calm, clear golden eyes.  So unlike what he was as a child and as a teenager.

 

“Roy, what’s wrong?”

 

“You’re letting Havoc be with her?”

“Yes.  She likes him.  A lot.  And he seems to care for her.”

 

“She’s your wife.”

 

“She’s my friend.”

 

Roy shouted,  “She’s your WIFE, Ed!”

 

“She was never my wife, Roy.”  Ed spoke calmly.  “Perhaps on paper…on the other side.  But certainly not on paper here.  And we were never husband and wife in the physical sense.  Unless Havoc’s done something already, Liesl is as virgin as the day she was born.”

 

“You love her.”

 

“Of course I love her.  She’s a dear friend.  Has been for several years.  And she’s free to be with whomever she chooses…which is Jean Havoc.”

 

“You wear a ring.”

 

Ed held up his left hand.  There was nothing on the ring finger.  “We’ve set each other free…to be with the ones we really love.”  He walked forward until he was within arms length of Roy.

 

Roy could only stare at the man he had missed for so many years.  And now he was back.  “I want you, Ed.” He blurted.

 

“You want me, Roy?”  The voice was gentle.  “Is that all you desire?  ‘Wanting’ me?  Or do you want more?”

 

Roy closed his eyes and shuddered.  He could feel the flames gripping his body…forcing him to tell the truth.  “I love you, Ed.  When you disappeared, it almost killed me.  It hurt so bad I didn’t know how I was going to survive.  But I did.  Then you came back.  But you were married…untouchable.”

 

Ed walked forward until he was touching Roy.  “I’m not untouchable.”

 

Roy grabbed him, wrapping one arm around Ed’s waist and digging the other into his hair.  He stared into Ed’s eyes for a long moment before placing his lips on Ed’s.  Ed obligingly tilted his head, parted his lips and the kiss became deeper and more heated.

 

After forever, the two men came up for air.  Ed chuckled softly against Roy’s lips.  “Roy…I’m home.”

 

Roy smiled.  “Welcome home, Ed.”


	7. Chapter 7

The Fuhrer’s Residence 1933

 

 

Ed and Roy stood outside at the top of the stairs.  Time had not passed them by.  Silver was threaded throughout Roy’s dark hair.  Ed required glasses. 

 

They looked down into the large garden at their extended family.

 

Not all of their family was there.  Vato Falman had been killed the year before trying to save a young woman from being hit by a drunk driver.  Neither survived.  No one objected when Roy had the man hung.  Especially after it was discovered it was the seventh time he had been caught driving drunk.  Ed and Roy were just glad that Falman never married or had kids.  They didn’t want to have to look in the eyes of another friend’s widow and tell her what happened to her husband.

 

Gracia and Elycia Hughes were there along with Elycia’s latest boyfriend.  The boy certainly had intestinal fortitude since he asked Elycia for another date even after the less than veiled threats by Elycia’s “uncles” if he ever hurt her.

 

Alex Armstrong trailed happily behind his tiny wife who had been chosen for him by his elder sister who still ruled Briggs with her icy fist.

 

Riza Hawkeye never married.  She claimed she was too busy riding herd on Roy.  She also professed to be quite happy being “Aunt Riza” to the multitude of children that had come into the family.  The kids adored her but were also properly fearful.

 

Breda and Fuery married sisters who owned a restaurant.  They were talking about expanding with two more in other parts of the city.

 

Winry and Al were there as well along with their three terrors.  Little Tricia was already following in her mother’s footsteps.  Not only with making automail but also with the wrench throwing as well.

 

Nine months after Ed and Liesl showed up in Central, Jean Havoc came to Roy and Ed and nervously asked for permission to marry Liesl.  It was given…after giving Havoc a hard time.  Roy, since they had put word out he was Liesl’s brother, escorted her down the aisle at their wedding.  Ed stood at Havoc’s side as best man.  Havoc adored Liesl and was extremely pleased over the fact that she was considered the best portrait artist in Amestris.  She still took several commissions every year even though she now had five children and was expecting her sixth.  Ed, earlier, heard her tell Winry that if this was another set of twins, she was taking Jean to be neutered.

 

Ed and Roy had a quiet ceremony a month after Liesl and Jean’s wedding.  They had adopted five children of their own.  All of them were children of soldiers who had been killed in one way or another.  All of them were loved and knew that they were loved.

 

“Papa!  Daddy!”

 

It was their youngest daughter, Christine, who had the same name as Roy’s foster mother.  The red-haired, green-eye sprite came running towards them, her white dress bouncing around her knees.  “Papa!  Daddy!  You have to come or else!  Aunt Riza says!  Uncle Heymans says he’s going to starve to death if you don’t move!”

 

Ed and Roy looked at each other and laughed.  They traded a gentle kiss then walked down the stairs to join the festivities.


End file.
